As part of the IA-CEPA, the Indonesia-Australia Skills Development Exchange Pilot (the Pilot) gives businesses from Australia and Indonesia the opportunity to send employees to undertake workplace placements for up to twelve months in the other country. The Pilot aims to provide an opportunity for participants to develop their own workplace skills while strengthening cooperation and understanding between Australia and Indonesia. Through building strong people-to people links, the Pilot will equip participants with the cultural competency and global perspective necessary to make the most of the opportunities offered by an increasingly interconnected world.
On 25 August 2023, Australia and Indonesia signed an amended Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), expanding the opportunities available under the Pilot. This amended MoU replaced the Pilot's MoU originally signed 4 March 2019. You can view a media release in relation to the amended MoU from the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell.
Who is eligible?
The Pilot will allow up to 100 workplace placements in each country to 30 June 2024, rising by 100 placements each year, to 500 placements in each country in the 12 months to 30 June 2028.
To be eligible for the Pilot, applicants must:
- be over 18 when applying to participate in the Pilot
- be currently employed on a full-time basis by the sending organisation
- meet the specified skill level to participate in the Pilot
- satisfy any licensing, registration, certification or other requirements, if the workplace placement is undertaken in a regulated occupation
- have adequate language proficiency for the position and the intent of the workplace placement
Other requirements also apply. You can review these requirements in the Skill Development Exchange Pilot Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
What work can be engaged in?
Exchanges can take place in the following sectors:
- Agribusiness and food processing
- Creative economy
- Financial and insurance services
- Green economy
- Information media and telecommunications services
- Mining, engineering and related technical services
- Tourism and travel related services
Workplace placements in sectors other than the sectors listed above may be approved, subject to the process outlined at chapter 4.2 in the MoU. Please contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) at iacepa.skills@dfat.gov.au if a workplace placement is proposed in a sector other than the ones listed above.
Which organisations can participate?
Sending and host organisations should have an existing relationship or establish a relationship for the purpose of arranging a workplace placement. Such relationships may only include exchanges between:
- branches or parts of the same organisation;
- an organisation and an affiliate organisation (for example, between a company and a subsidiary or related entity);
- an organisation and an established partner organisation (for example, between joint venture partners, businesses with existing formal links, or between a business and an established client); or
- organisations that are Members of KADIN, APINDO, IABC, ACCI, AI Group or AIBC.
What sort of training will a participants get?
Work placements are for a maximum period of twelve months. Training will depend on the participant's needs and the skills development priorities of the sending organisation. Training may include classroom-based learning, technical training and 'on-the-job' skills development, delivered at the workplace or by external providers.
Workplace placements must be at an appropriate skill level.
For Australia, a position of appropriate skill level means any position in an occupation as defined in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) Skill Level 1-3, other than where Australian citizenship or permanent residence is a prerequisite for employment.
For Indonesia, a position of appropriate skill level means any position in an occupation which requires:
- diploma 1 degree, for Workplace Placements of up to 6 months duration; or
- a bachelor degree and above with 5 years working experience, for Workplace Placements up to 12 months duration.
How can I apply?
Indonesians applying for a workplace placement in Australia must apply to DFAT for a letter of support. DFAT uses an online application system.
To make an application, please contact iacepa.skills@dfat.gov.au to receive instructions on how to access the application form.
Once a letter of support has been obtained from DFAT, Indonesian applicants must apply for a Temporary work (International relations) visa (subclass 403) Government Agreement stream, following the instructions outlined on the Department of Home Affairs website.
Australians applying for a work placement in Indonesian should refer to the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia. DFAT can provide Australian applicants with a letter of acknowledgment to support applications to undertake workplace placements in Indonesia. Please contact iacepa.skills@dfat.gov.au to request a letter of acknowledgement.